Feeding device



y 1 1939.' J. R. ELSEY 2,158,226

FEEDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 1937 7 /9 6 ehmes 2.457268% Patented May16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

' 2,158,226 FEEDING DEVICE.

1 James'R. Elsey, Maplewood, Mo. Application August 2, 1937, Serial No.157,015

"2 Claims. (01.11941) This invention relates to a feeding device andmore particularly to a device of this character intended for feedingyoung animals, such as lambs or calves, which have been taken from theirmothers and must be fed by artificial means in order that they maysurvive during the interval of time when theirdiet consists only ofmilk. The device Will also be found useful in stock yards, slaughterhouses and other establishments where it is desired to preserve theyoung animals in a healthy condition until they are killed and dressedfor use as meat.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich may be suspended from an overhead support and consists of a bagconstituting a container for a quantity of milk and having a number ofoutlets carrying nipples. It will thus be seen that the device will inmany respects correspond to the bag of a milch cow 0 or sheep from whichthe young animals have been taken and permit the young animals to feedin a natural manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterof such construction that one or more young animals can feed from thesame without interfering with each other.

It is another object of the invention to so construct the outlet for thecontainer that flow of milk through the same may be controlled and thusprevent the milk from flowing too freely when suction is exerted throughthe openings in the nipples.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thischaracter which may be easily and quickly filled through an opening inits top and a closure for this opening then applied so that flow of airthrough the filling opening will be prevented and discharge of milkthrough the nipple prevented from taking place except when an animal isfeeding.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional View taken vertically through the improvedfeeding device, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken transversely through one of theoutlets along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The container or bag I of this improved feeding device is formed of softrubber although it may be formed of any other desired material, andwhile it has been shown spherical in shape, it is to be understood thatit may be of any desired outline. The upper portion of the bag orcontainer has its walls externally thickened to provide a reinforcedportion 2 from which extends sleeve 4 formed of metal.

a neck 3 which fits about an internally threaded The sleeve is formedat. its upper end with an outstanding annular flange 5 which overhangsthe upper edge of the neck 3 and in order to suspend the feeding devicefrom an overhead support there have been provided rings 6 which aredisposed at opposite sides of the sleeve and connected therewith byupper webs I and lower arms 8. The upper Web unites the rings to theoutstanding flange 5 of the sleeve and the arms 8 are united to thelower end portion of the sleeve and have portions passing through theneck 3. It will be understood that the sleeve must be molded into theneck of the bag during formation of the bag, and that since the arms 8extend through the neck, the sleeve will be firmly held in the neck andprevented from turning therein. Therefore, a cap 9 may be screwedtightly into the sleeve after the bag has been filled with milk and atight closure provided which will prevent the milk from being spilledand also prevent-passage of air into the bag through the sleeve. berswhich are engaged with the ring are employed to suspend the feedingdevice from an overhead support.

In order to permit young animals to feed from this device, there havebeen provided a plurality of discharge nozzles II which may be three innumber or any other desired number. These nozzles are formed of metaland each has its upper end portion threaded, as shown at l2, andadjacent this upper end portion each nozzle carries a circumferentiallyextending flange l3 so that, when the threaded end portion l2 of thenozzle is passed through an opening formed in the bag or container I anda nut l4 formed with a flange l5 screwed into place, portions of therubber bag will be firmly gripped between the flanges l3 and the flangedend of the nut and the nozzle very firmly held in place and leakageabout the nozzle prevented. A neck It extends laterally from the nozzleintermediate the length thereof and is formed with a threaded bore i1through which a threaded valve stem I8 is engaged, and it will bereadily understood that by grasping the turning head IQ of the outer endof a stem, the stem may be turned in a direction to move it inwardly oroutwardly. When the valve stem is turned inwardly, it is moved acrossthe bore of the nozzle to partially or entirely block the same.Therefore, flow of milk through the nozzle may be controlled andentirely out off if so desired. Rubber nipples are engaged about theflange ends 2| of the nozzles so that they v Hooks [0 or equivalentmemthen engaged with the hooks ID to suspend the bag from an overheadsupport. After the bag has been suspended the valves l8 may be opened topermit flow of milk through the nozzle and out of the nipples when thenipples are subjected to suction by the feeding animal. In View of thefact that the cap 9 is screwed tightly into place, passage of air intothe bag through the filling neck will be prevented and the milk willonly flow from the nozzle when an animal'is feeding. As the bag isprovided with a number of nozzles and nipples carried thereby, acorresponding number of animals may feed from the bag at the same time.When the bag has been emptied, the nipples 20 may be removed, the valvesfully opened and the cap removed. The interior of the bag and also thenozzles and the nipples may then be thoroughly washed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A feeding device of the character described comprising a containerformed of soft flexible material and having its upper portion thickenedand formed with an upstanding neck, an internally threaded sleeve ofrigid material mounted in the neck and having an upper upstanding flangeoverlying said neck, arms extending from said sleeve laterally from saidneck, suspending means carried by said arms, a cap screwed into saidsleeve and constituting a removable closure for tightly closing theneck, and discharge means extending downwardly from the lower portion ofthe container.

2. A device of the character described comprising a container of softflexible material having its upper portion formed with an upstandingfilling neck, a sleeve of rigid material mounted in said neck and havingportions extending through and laterally from sides'of the neck andterminating in members for suspending the container from an overheadsupport, a removable closure for said neck, and discharge meansextending downwardly from said container.

JAMES R. ELSEY.

